I knew I'd step on someone's toes with my comments. The Danvise has a
huge following, but when I saw it in person, my initial reaction was "That's
bulky." It just seemed to me that the vise's bulk might interfere with
tying, and some folks who own the vise have commented that it can.

I had this same predicament a number of years ago. I did amble research on the internet, besides reading & found that for the money spent I could not beat the Peak rotary. Everyone is most certainly entitled to their thoughts, but this one has worked wonders for me.

Also, the thread response noting tying tube flies, I ran into the same problem with my Peak. I originally purchased a "tube fly kit", but it would not work on the Peak. Therefore, I made my own mandrel for tying tube flies. I took the heaviest wire coat hanger I could find, put a 90 degree bend at one end (about 1/2" long) then proceeded to use my stand grinder to taper the end. I had a piece of the tubing handy & kept grinding the taper until it fit the way I wanted. I have tried to post the digital pic of my mandrel for everyone, but it must be too large. The mandrel works great. I've tied many tube flies using it & will keep tying them.

Keep asking, using & researching different vises. They are in many ways the same as picking a fly rod. Try it out & see if it works for you. That has always seemed the most logical way.

There's no question that the Peak "true rotary" is an outstanding vise, elegant and compact as well. It's also twice the price of the Danvise, which also features "true rotary" capability, ball bearings, adjustable bobbin rest, etc. As such, the Danvise makes a lot of sense as a starter vise (& a lot more), because a beginner would get a high quality vise with advanced features without spending a lot on something he may ultimately not use that much if his fly-tying interest wanes.

Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, and while the Peak is certainly attractive (& more so after you upgrade the unattractive white plastic thumbscrews with the optional brass ones for $8), I also find the Danvise attractive in its "Star Wars" look (as one reviewer put it).

Frankly, Peregrines earlier discussion of the various first vise options said it all pretty well. I'd only add that optionizing the Peak can also add considerably to its cost as well, i.e. adding a $40 C-Clamp in case you decide to travel with it and the pedestal is a weight factor.

Frankly, Peregrines earlier discussion of the various first vise options said it all pretty well. I'd only add that optionizing the Peak can also add considerably to its cost as well, i.e. adding a $40 C-Clamp in case you decide to travel with it and the pedestal is a weight factor.

Sounds like a good excuse for having more than one vise. I bought
my Peak vise from an ebay dealer (lives down the street from Peak), and
he includes the brass screws at no extra cost. I bought the "D" arm for
me Peak, and that makes a world of difference when using its rotary function.
The Danvise already has a crank handle, so....

Sounds like a good excuse for having more than one vise. I bought
my Peak vise from an ebay dealer (lives down the street from Peak), and
he includes the brass screws at no extra cost. I bought the "D" arm for
me Peak, and that makes a world of difference when using its rotary function.
The Danvise already has a crank handle, so....

One nice thing (other than, obviously, potentially more expense) about the Peak is that it does have a full range of accessories, which the Danvise really doesn't. For example (relevant for me), the Peak offers both a Midge jaw and a Saltwater jaw as optional accessories, whereas the Danvise only offers a Saltwater jaw as an optional accessory. Now it's true that the Danvise comes with what it terms a "standard/midge" jaw, but it's safe to say that the Peak's optional Midge jaw would more easily handle the tiny flies I'm forced to deal with as a tailwater fly-fisher.

I did visit a local shop and going to take a few classes starting in a couple weeks and the owner said I could try out some different models. He recommended the Renzetti Traveler as well, but has a couple others to check out.

Also, the thread response noting tying tube flies, I ran into the same problem with my Peak. I originally purchased a "tube fly kit", but it would not work on the Peak. Therefore, I made my own mandrel for tying tube flies. I took the heaviest wire coat hanger I could find, put a 90 degree bend at one end (about 1/2" long) then proceeded to use my stand grinder to taper the end. I had a piece of the tubing handy & kept grinding the taper until it fit the way I wanted. I have tried to post the digital pic of my mandrel for everyone, but it must be too large.

What a creative solution! Would love to see a photo - maybe on a different thread so we don't change or detract from the original question of this thread.

There's no question that the Peak "true rotary" is an outstanding vise, elegant and compact as well. It's also twice the price of the Danvise, which also features "true rotary" capability, ball bearings, adjustable bobbin rest, etc. As such, the Danvise makes a lot of sense as a starter vise (& a lot more), because a beginner would get a high quality vise with advanced features without spending a lot on something he may ultimately not use that much if his fly-tying interest wanes.

Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, and while the Peak is certainly attractive (& more so after you upgrade the unattractive white plastic thumbscrews with the optional brass ones for $8), I also find the Danvise attractive in its "Star Wars" look (as one reviewer put it).

Frankly, Peregrines earlier discussion of the various first vise options said it all pretty well. I'd only add that optionizing the Peak can also add considerably to its cost as well, i.e. adding a $40 C-Clamp in case you decide to travel with it and the pedestal is a weight factor.

Good points. As a Peak owner, the substantial and stable pedestal appealed to me the most, as I don't have to go looking for a place to secure my C-clamp that won't get damaged. The Peak has the most stable pedestal stand I've used and eliminates the potential for tipping.

I view the add-ons as another advantage of the Peak. Also, there is a dealer, Gypsy Outdoors, who provides a very competitive price for the Peak that includes the brass screw upgrade. It's certainly less than twice the price of the Danvise. The ability to add the salt water and midge jaws make the Peak a very flexible vise, and the lifetime warranty provides peace of mind for an extremely well-built piece of equipment at an extremely reasonable price.

Now, I'm aware that there are many good vise choices on the market. Getting a chance to try out a few different models and features during a class is the best way to go. I'd encourage the original poster to do that first, then go back to comparing features among vises again. This will help to guarantee you make the right choice.